Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-13
DAILY HERALD.
CUPID AND CROQUET.
New a wife Fell i'm Leve with
Her Husband.
IFrom the New York Journal

IFrom the New York Journal
Less than one year ago Olney Har-
ris, well-to-do young blacksmith,
who plies his trade in the prosperous
little village of Raleigh, Tenn, we'd
ded Matte Tucker, the comely daugh-
ter of thrifty farmer living not far
from the same place.
When the marriage took place the
village was turned topsy-turvy, all the
young people, the old people, and
the middle-aged folks, too, went to
the marriage feast and danced to the
music of Uncle Dams fiddle.
The mutual affection which existed
between the young people was so deep
in it's infinite abundance that they
mutually swore to love each other al
ways, but it was only a few
short months after the wedding
occurred that a quarrel arose
between the two, and the bride, long
ing for the single blessedness that was
once hers, filed bill in the courts for
a divorce and left the man who had
once been h r dear lord and protector.
OF course the entire population OF
Raleigh and many people besides be-
came acquainted with the circum-
stances in a wonderful brief space OF
time, and, as it were, society out there
was all torn up over the occurrence,
which was the greatest sensation that
bad happened in that usually quiet
place for many a year. AS the mat
ter the husband and wife had disa
greed upon was some trivial affair."
and as neither really had any just
cause to dislike the other, it became
the self-imposed duty of all their mu-
tual friends to try and bring them to-
gether again.
One day a few weeks since a par y
of some three or four ladies and gentle
men met at the spring, ostensibly for
the mere purpose of drinking the cool
water and lounging about under the
delightful shade trees which dot the
hills all aroaund, and young Mrs. Har-
ris was of the party. The crowd lott
cred around the spot for some time
and had engaged in a merry
game of croquet, when two
gentlemen drove up in a
buggy. 1t having been so arranged
by the conspirators against single
biessedness, Olney Harris was one of
the two, and as they were about to
pass by the group of croquet players
some one called and asked the new
corners to join in the sport, which they
did. In this way the separated hus-
band and wife became partners in the
game.
Never was the role of lover played
with greater fervor nor with more ten
derness than was the case with the
once deserted husband on this occa-
sion. 1t was his delight to whisper
those little nothings into the willing
ear of the once happy bride as he had
done in the olden time when Cupid
had sent the first shaft from his
bow quivering through their hearts
when her ball was knocked very far
away it was his assumed duty to look
after it, and when her mallet had been
broken it was his unalloyed pleasure
to tender her his own and to play with
the broken one. An appointment
was made by the two to meet at the
home in which they had both dwelt
before the separation, and at the given
time the young wife made her ap-
pearance there, but for some unknown
reason it seemed that settlement OF
the difficulty could not be effected.
In the meantime the husband made
it the purpose and ambition of his
life to win her back if possible, and
other appointments were made in
cluding engagements to go buggy rid
ing, to take moonlight walks and
drives, and the husband visited his
wife regularly. They gradually grew
more and more friendly and it was
not a great while before the friend
ship ripened into mutual love.
On Sunday afternoon the pair
went out buggy riding, came to
town and engaged rooms at the Coch-
ran House, where they stopped for the
night They returned to Raleigh the
next day, and as they arrived there
towards evening, they found the in
habitants celebrating the Fourth of
July. The news spread like wild-tire
throughout the little village that those
who had been asunder were again
united, and it was instantly decided
by the popullce to celebrate the event
also.
Accordingly, all of the fireworks and
firearms that could be obtained, to-
gether with all the tin pans and
other musical instruments in the neigh
borhood, were brought into requisi-
ton, and a grand serenade was given
them. Huge bonfires were built, and
the young people marched around the
house with torches, singing love songs.
A bunch OF fire-crackers was e el
thrown in the window and night was
made lurid, while the hills for many
a mile around were made to echo the